Blog entry

Ways of telling if you have a mould problem

Many are disgusted when they realize that mould lives under their roofs. No matter how much you try to keep the house neat and clean, the fungus still manages to enter your home. Whether you like it or not, you are stuck with a permanent resident. While most times, the fungus is harmless, if the conditions are favourable enough, it develops into a potential life threat. Mould is a dangerous substance because its spores are extremely toxic and they enter the body very fast. The best course of action when you suspect that there is mould in the house is to call a mold inspector. Nevertheless, there are some classic signs that warn you of the presence of mould in the house and of the seriousness of the problem.

Be aware of any suspicious odours

The fungus is not odourless, which means that it will not go unnoticed. On the contrary, the smell that the fungus produces is very distinctive. Even though the odour is poignant, many homeowners fail to associate it with the mould. The truth is that any room has its own emanations, especially if the house is old or if the walls have not been painted recently. The reason why you should pay attention to any new smell is that the fungus can live within the walls of the room and sometimes it might be hiding behind the wallpaper. If the smell persists after letting the air in or after a paint job, you should know you have mould inside your walls.

The physical presence

When it grows, mould becomes very fuzzy so that it is not difficult to spot it. The fungus usually grows in damp areas because they thrive on moisture. When in doubt regarding where to look for mould, check areas where water leakages tend to occur. To put it in other words, you should verify the surrounding pipes, the walls of the basement and the roof. When the fungus is present in small amounts, it can be a challenge to spot it. For instance, in dark areas such as basements, you have to do some detective work before reaching any result. In these cases, professional inspectors are called. A mould inspector is much more qualified owing to the fact that he uses performant equipment. However, you should guide the expert towards the areas of the house that you know to be damp.

Health symptoms

The fungus moves from one place to the other and in the course of this movement it emanates spores that are extremely toxic. Some even consider moulds to be microbes and view them as extremely harmful. Mould infection is very dangerous because it is often mistaken for the common cold. More precisely, the sickness is associated with symptoms such as sneezing and nose congestion. The nose becomes irritated when it feels the presence of the spores. Other typical symptoms include itchy skin, headaches and watery eyes. It is a combination between the symptoms of viral infections and allergy attacks. When you are overexposed to the fungus, your condition can progress into one that can threaten your life. If you are lucky enough to avoid death, you are still in danger of becoming blind, not to mention that many people have experienced memory loses and coughed blood.